Blonde Death
Blonde Death (1984) directed by James Dillinger
98 minutes / 1.33:1 / Colour
Bleeding Skull (BS-001) 2024
The Film
In 1984, James Robert Baker (aka James Dillinger) produced a tape. Not a film. Not a movie. A tape. On this tape is Blonde Death, a subversive coming of age story that follows Tammy Lynn Beaverdorf (Sara Lee Wade) as she transforms from an abused, downtrodden, Disneyland-dreaming innocent young women into a gun-wielding sex-crazed tour de force of a bombshell.
Tammy, along with her inappropriate Father and oppressive born again Christian stepmother, relocate to California. After a bombardment of verbal and physical abuse from her parents, Tammy is left to her own devices. The speediest cinematic depiction of Stockholm Syndrome takes place as Tammy falls in love with escaped convict Link (Jack Catalano) as he breaks into her family home taking her hostage at gunpoint. The couple make plans to take on the world before Link’s ex-cell mate Troy enters the fray creating a fraut love triangle.
Blonde Death is a combination of tongue in cheek exploitation, satire and a queer ménage à trois take on Bonnie and Clyde (1967) in the vein of early John Waters films. James Robert Baker’s debut and sole feature film effort, is a foundational transgressive work that Baker would later build upon in his novels. Baker’s novels, such as Adrenaline (1985) and Tim and Pete (1993) are predominantly gay-themed militant critiques of the entertainment industry, organised religion and capitalism. Baker's challenging material led to difficulty in acquiring future publishing deals, which exacerbated his mental health to the point of suicide in 1997. His legacy is an angry, venomous, albeit justified opinion of the world in which he lived, not to mention a gleeful ‘fuck you’ to the Republican America of the 1980s.
Blonde Death was released in the middle of the Reagan administration. The flagrant ‘poor taste’ in which the film delivers its indictment of Republican morals is commendable. The biting satire and absurd yet quotable dialogue are strong selling points for the film. While Baker was reportedly stern and challenging to work with, as suggested by star Sara Lee Wade, Baker's unique sense of humour and palpable pleasure at taking shots at the establishment exudes a joy and sense of freedom that only independent low budget features of the shot on video (S.O.V) variety can muster.
The technical limits of S.O.V feature films often make up for audio-visual shortcomings with imaginative storytelling and idiosyncratic performances. Sometimes budgetary restrictions and a lack of resources inspire such charming creativity that the needle on the entertainment gauge spirals out of control. Blonde Death is one of those films. To many, the aesthetic of S.O.V is a barrier to enjoyment. To me, the punk, D.I.Y style of outsider filmmaking bucks the conventions of traditional cinema and the ‘flaws’ in the presentation symbolise an anarchic rejection of expectations of what is considered good taste, not just in subject but also in form. Warning, hyperbole incoming! In short this is one of the most entertaining films I've ever seen.
The Disc
The feature presentation has been produced by Bleeding Skull, an authority on the deepest of deep cut odd-ball genre films. To coincide with their 20th anniversary, a new line of Blu-rays enters the world of boutique physical media, and one I feel, dear genre film enthusiast, deserves your full attention. At the time of writing, Bleeding Skull, in partnership with OCN Distribution, have released three discs of exceptional quality, including The Lost Films of Fabio Salerno (1981-92) and Way Bad Stone (1991).
Of course, the limits of the recording equipment need to be taken into consideration when purchasing any of these preserved S.O.V titles. Blonde Death is preserved from its original ¾ tape master and is typical of the quality image and sound of its contemporaries. The image is very rough around the edges, depth of colour and contrast is minimal, which again for some this a barrier, but to me and other fans of the aesthetic is all part and parcel. Some viewers might find the use of subtitles beneficial to the viewing experience as audio levels can become muddy, again not a fault of the transfer but of the equipment used to make the tape in the first instance.
The commentary track with film historians Elizabeth Purchell & KJ Shepherd is a delightful and informative listen. Purchell and Shepherd have impressive resumes within the world of home video and collaborate often on releases. Highlights include the AGFA releases of Sex Demon and Other Hauntings (1971-75), the Altered Innocence release of L.A. Plays Itself: The Fred Halsted Collection (1972) and various contributions to Doris Wishman films. Purchell and Shepherd are important voices in queer film appreciation and make a great pair to accompany you through Blonde Death.
Interviews with Sara Lee Wade and EZTV Director Michael J. Masucci offers insight into the filmmaking process and the legacy of Blonde Death. Production and distribution company EZTV founder John Dorr also features with an archival interview and a tour of EZTV which rounds off the release. Bleeding Skull’s release of Blonde Death leaves me feeling very excited about their foray into physical media and eager to discover their upcoming home video projects.
Sam Dunkley